So many of us hate selling or feeling like we are “being sold to” because it has the old reputation of being manipulative, exploitative, and too pushy. Thanks to the sales tactics of the old days, our sales prospects have walls up before a call or meeting even starts. […]
Member Only Webinar - February 27, 2023 with Emma Watt from Dot & Co. https://youtu.be/iFgXFV_nTlw Additional resources: The forms/tools Emma shared during the webinar Webinar deck
Think about some of your favorite brands for just a moment. What aspects of those brands make you feel the most connected to them? Do you ever find yourself talking to your friends or family about a company you love so much because of what they stand for or how they connect with people? […]
Early in my life as an agency owner, I was convinced I could do it all. And I was equally convinced that the fewer people we paid to do things, the better. I was handling clients during the day and doing my owner work at night. Oh yeah, and I was doing all of the accounting and billing. Which meant, as you can imagine, that our invoices went out late (which killed cash flow) and had errors galore. I’m sure we lost clients because I was too stubborn and ignorant to realize that I needed help. I made a lot of changes. I joined the AMI, we hired a bookkeeper (the best decision I’d ever made in my professional career at that point in time) and realized I wasn’t omnipotent. And you know how this story ends. When I got out of my own way and put aside my stubbornness — I could actually do the work that I was supposed to be doing as an owner. If you can’t ever get to your To Do list, check to make sure you’re not making the same mistake I did. No matter how amazing you are — you can’t do it alone. Crack open the wallet and delegate the work that you’re mediocre at so you have room to be brilliant! This was originally published in the weekly AMI newsletter. To subscribe, click here.
Sales — the dreaded word that most of us cringe when we think about it. It brings up thoughts of manipulation, forced conversations, and fear of rejection. It’s one of those necessary evils that come with being a business owner that’s essential if you want to keep growing. […]
Michelle Ashby, Coach, Consultant & Confidante Michelle is a veteran advertising agency owner-operator with a team of twenty-four (Tipping Point) that spans the United States in a hybrid work environment. Her full-service agency has weathered multiple recessions, a pandemic, and ownership transitions, and has faced both euphoric and heartbreaking client and staff challenges for more than 17 years. Still leading the agency, Michelle begins her second act (and everyone should have one) as an AMI coach and trusted business advisor. She has been a member of AMI since 2012. Michelle is passionate about helping agency team members grow interpersonally and developing their business acumen grounded by AMI best practices. She facilitates our virtual peer group meetings with owners and up-and-coming leaders. She founded her agency by negotiating the purchase of a media department she was leading from her employer. With her first child on the way and very little in the bank, she financed this dream through a second mortgage and an SBA 7a loan. Just five years later, Michelle co-founded a subsidiary to expand agency services to include public relations and social media. Just after the COVID-19 pandemic, she acquired a digital creative firm. Michelle has been recognized by the Small Business Council of Rochester as Business Person of the Year in 2014 and by the Rochester Area Business Ethics Foundation as the “2016 Ethie Award” recipient. Michelle has her BS in Advertising Management and Journalism from Ohio University and is a certified member of the Women Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) and member of Vistage International. Her firm is an Accredited AMI advertising agency. At her core, Michelle is a mom of two awesome boys and wants to help owners create a [...]
Del Esparza, CEO of Esparza Advertising | Coach | Consultant Del Esparza is a seasoned advertising executive with over 23 years of experience in the industry and has been a part of the AMI family for over 15 years. Throughout his career, he has developed a reputation for being a strategic thinker with a keen understanding of consumer behavior. He is a skilled communicator and leader, known for his ability to inspire and motivate his teams to achieve great results. One of Del's core philosophies is mentoring. He believes that in order to succeed in the advertising industry, it is essential to have a mentor who can guide and support you throughout your career. He himself has had several mentors throughout his career and he is now paying it forward by mentoring young professionals in the field. He is passionate about sharing his knowledge and experience with others and is committed to helping them reach their full potential. Del also lives by a set of values that he believes are key to success in any profession. He values integrity, hard work, and a positive attitude above all else. He is a firm believer in treating everyone with respect, and he is dedicated to fostering a culture of inclusivity and collaboration. With his strong work ethic, mentoring philosophy, and values, Del Esparza is a respected leader in the advertising industry. Del facilitates our key leadership group while continuing to run his growing agency.
One of the biggest sticking points with agencies is establishing tried and true onboarding and training SOPs. Over and over, we find that new hires aren’t pleased with how their onboarding process went, despite agencies and larger companies investing billions into this one area. […]
With a heavy heart, I’m recording this week’s solocast to commemorate the life of a cherished and respected team member of AMI, Craig Barnes. I have known Craig for 25 years, and we became great friends and colleagues over our time together as fellow agency owners. […]
As agency owners, we’re always looking for ways to get great customers that increase our profitability while decreasing the length of the typical sales cycle. That’s the dream, right? […]
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